Street-indicator.



G. H. VIGKERY.

STREET INDICATOR. I APPLICATION TILED JUNE 19, 1911. 1,030 355 PatentedJune 25, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses nventor Attorneys G. H. VIUKERY..

STREET INDICATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 19, 1911.

I 1,030,355, Patented June 25, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Z7 i v5 22 [6 H 5 7 g 50/ Inventor Witnesses Attorneys WTTED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. VICKERY, 0F ATTICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-FOURTH 'IOJEROME M. SLATER AND QNE-FOURTH TO LILLIAN M. SLATER, 0F ATTICA, NEWYORK.

STREET-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented June 25,1912.

Application filed June 19, 1911. Serial No. 633,950.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. VIGKERY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Attica, in the county of WVyoming and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Street-Indicator, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in indicators, the primary objectof :this invention being the provision ofa mechanism adapted to becarried by the respective coaches or cars, and to be automaticallycontrolled by an exterior means, to indicate the next stop or station,or street, giving a signal indication, and if necessary an alarm, theparticular mechanism comprising a casing having mounted therein acylinder provided with a series of peripheral exhibit ing surfacesseparated by shouldered portions or teeth, said drum being springactuated and provided with a propelling and arresting ratchet co-actingwith the teeth thereof combined with electromechanical means foroperating the said pawls to rotatethe drum or cylinder and visuallyexhibit the various streets or stations in succession.

A further object of this invention is the provision of anindicator,'h'aving a cylinder or casing mounted at a conspicuous placewithin the car or coach, having a concentrically and longitudinallydisposed shaft upon which is slidably and rotatably mounted, anindicating drum normally under a spring tension, and held in suchexhibiting position by means of mechanical devices, which are controlledby an exterior mechanism in the path of travel of the car or coach andso operated as to exhibit the next station or street, and when the drumhas exhibited the last station, it is automatically returned to beginanew from the first station or street.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofwhat is claimed without depart ing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through themain casing showing an electrical circuit in diagram, and

the station or street exhibiting drum proected to its fullest extent,and just prior to returnlng. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the maincasing. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, the dottedlines ind cat ng the position of the drum when beginning the exhibitingof the stations or street. Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on line XX ofFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on line Y-Y of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the main orsurrounding casing, which is preferably made in a" cylindrical form, theclosed ends 2 and 2, having a concentric bearing therein, said casingbeing further provided with the flanged aperture 3, for the reception ofthe magnifying lens 4, through which the streets or stations arevisually displayed.

Mounted longitudinally and concentrically of the casing 1 within thehead 2, 1s a fixed cylindrical shaft 5 provided with the spiral groove6, in which fits a pin or stud 7 carried by the hub 8 of the. disk 9,said disk 9 carrying the cylinder or drum 10, which is made of atransparent or translucent material. The surface of this drum orcylinder 10 is provided with the ribs or shouldered portions 11 whichconstitute ratchet teeth upon the exterior of the drum, and provide thefiat surface portions'12, upon which are attached or painted the signsas 12, as clearly shown in Fig. l. The spiral lines 13 shown upon thecylinder or" drum 10 in Fig. 1, represent the line of travel of the saiddrum 10 upon the shaft 5 from the dotted line position as shown in Fig.3, to the position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

1 Mounted'or secured to the inner face of thedrum 2 of the casing 1, isa bracket or support 14, which carries at its extreme inner end anelectric light or lamp 15, which is disposed in line with the lens 4,within the drum 10, so that the radiance from said light, will be to therear of the signs 12, in line with the lens 4, and permit a name to bevisually read through the lens 4 atany point, within the car or coach. 7

Mounted through the interior of the head 2 of the casing 1 near theupper portion thereof, is a bracket 16, carrying a pair ofelectromagnets 17, whose armatures 18, extend downwardly and are bridgedor connected together by means of the plate 18, provided with a slot 24,as indicated in Fig.

5. Connected to the electromagnet 17, and

leading to any source of electric supply, are the conductors 19, in thiscase one of which is connected to the ground 20, and to the arm 21,carried by the axle 22, and when the arm 21 engages the cont-act point23, the electromagnets 1-7 are energized, lifting their armatures l8,and consequently the slotted bar or bridging member 18 the slot so astoprevent and hold the frame against movement to the rightand againstthe tension of the spring 39 which is disposed upon the shaft 5 betweenthe end of the casing 2 and the arm 27. This feature is clearlyillustrated in Fig. 1 and 3.

The spring 40 of the pawl 40 normally holds the pawl in the position asshown in Fig. 4, but said pawl is so mounted as to permit of'a movementto and from the lug 30. Carried upon the closed end 9 of the drum 10 isa wedge shaped lug 42, which when the drum is in the position as shownin Figs. 1 and 3 will engage the inner terminal of the pawl 40 and thusmove the pawl 40 so that its terminal upon the outer face of the lug 30will be moved out of engagemen therewith to the left as viewed in Fig. 4so that the spring 39 will move the frame to the right the distance ofthe projection of the lug 30 from the arm 30.

As the arms 27 and 30 are raised due to to the energization of theelectromagnet 17 the pawl 31 carried by the connecting portion 28 of theframe will be raised to traverse the drum 10 the distance between therespective teeth 11 thereof, the engaging end 32 of said pawl 31 beingnormally held toward the drum at all times. In order to lock the drumagainst a retrograde movement during the raising of the frame and thepawl 31, a pawl 36 is connected at 35 to the inner surface of the maincasing 1 and is disposed to engage the periphery of the drum,'and one ofthe teeth 11 thereof, and thus lock the drum as before stated against aretrograde movement.

The pawl 31 is provided with an upper free end 34, while disposed uponthe wall of the casing 1 is a projection 37 which is in the path of toengage the end 34' of the pawl 31, as will later appear, to release thepawl 31 from the drums Carried by the frame 2728 and 29 is a projection38 which is the means for releasing the arresting pawl 36 from the drum10 as will presently appear.

Mounted upon the inner face and carried by the connecting plate 28 ofthe frame is a lug43, which is disposed in the path to be engaged by theedge of the open end of the drum 10 as will presently appear.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with thedrawings, theoperation of the indicator will be clearly understood but briefly statedis as follows: Presuming the drum 10 to be in the dotted line positionFig. 3, and that the electromagnet is being energized due to. theclosing of a circuit, the frame 27, 28 and 29 will be raised and carrywith it the pawl 31, the pawl 36 which is now in engagement with one ofthe teeth 11 of the drum 10 will lock the drum against movement whilethe pawl 31 is being lifted and placed in engagement with the tooth 11above. The deenergization of the electromagnet will release the frameand the spring 26, will move the frame downwardly and due to the pawl 31engaging one of the teeth 11 of the drum 10, will move the drumcircumferentially the distance of one tooth 11 and cause the drum tomove out of engagement of the arresting pawl 36 to another tooth engagedthereby and thus retain the drum in the desired position. This rotatingact-ion of the drum due to the spiral groove 6 and the pin 7 will imparta movement tothe drum from left to right as viewed in Figs. 1

and 3 and finally bring the drum to the full line positions therein. Thespring 39 has a natural tendency to move the frame to the right so thatthe arm 30 and its lug 30 when seated between the terminals of thepawl40 will hold the frame in position so that the pawls 31 and 36 will notbe moved from e11- gagement with the drum. As the drum l0 approaches thearm 3.0 of the frame, its wedge-shaped lug 42 will engage the inner freeend of the pawl 40 and move the same outwardly so that the outer freeend of the pawl 40 will be moved from contact with the lug 30' and thuspermit the spring 39 to move the frame to the right the distance of theprojection of the lug 30. This action will bring the projection 38 intoengagement with the pawl 36, releasing said pawl from the surface of thedrum 10 and the free end 34 of the pawl 31 will be placed in engagementwith the projection 37, thus releasing the pawl 31 from engagement withthe drum 10, which due to the spring A and the groove 6 and pin 7, willbe moved from full line position Fig. 3 to the dot-ted line position andhave imparted thereto a simulta-- neous rotating movement and thus beplaced in reset position.

Asthe open free end of the drum 10 approaches the projection 43 upon theframe, the projection 43 is engagedand the frame is moved'to the leftagainst the tension of the spring 39 the distance of the projection ofthe lug 30, at which time the spring 40 of the double terminal pawl 40will move the pawl 40 so as to place it astride of the frame 30 and lug30 and thus lock the frame in reset position with the respective pawls31 and 36 free to engage the periphery of the drum 10 and teeth 11thereof, to lock the drum against the tension of the spring A, and thusplace the parts in the position for another exhibiting operation.

What is claimed is:

1. In an indicator, the combination of a surrounding casing, astationary shaft mounted therein, a drum mounted thereon carrying aseries of peripherally disposed eX- hibits and having a toothed surface,coacting means carried by the shaft and drum to impart to the drum aspiral movement when the said drum is rotated upon the shaft,electromagnetically operated and springreturned means disposed upon theshaft in operable relation with the surface of said drum for impartingto the drum a rotary movement, a spring disposed upon the shaft andoperably connected to the drum, said spring being wound as the drum isrotated and has a spiral movement imparted thereto and means forreleasing the electromagnetically operated and spring-returned means topermit the drum to be rotated in a reverse direction and returned toreset position.

2. In an indicator, the combination of a surrounding casing providedwith an exhibiting aperture, a shaft fixedly mounted concentricallythereof, a drum mounted for rotation upon said shaft, coacting meanscarried by said drum and shaft for causing the drum to move spirallyupon the shaft when rotated, said drum being provided with a series ofperipheral shoulders, an elect-romechanically operated frame disposedupon the shaft and having means engaging the shouldered portion of thedrum to rotate said drum, means for releasing said electromechanicallyoperated means to permit the drum to return to reset position, and

means for returning the drum to reset position when released.

3. In an indicator, the combination of a surrounding casing providedwith an exhibiting aperture, ashaft fixedly mounted concentricallythereof, a drum mounted for rotation upon said shaft, co-acting meanscarried by said drum and shaft for causing the drum to move spirallyupon the shaft when rotated, said drum being provided with a series ofperipheral shoulders, an electromechanically operated U-shaped framehaving its terminals disposed upon the shaft and its intermediateportion provided with means for engaging the shouldered portionof thedrum to rotate said drum, means for releasing said electromechanicallyoperated means to permit the drum to return to reset position, and aspring mounted upon the shaft and connected to the drum for returningthe drum to reset position when released.

l. In an indicator, the combination with a source of electrical energy,and means for completing a circuit, of an indicator having a casing, ashaft mounted therein, 'a drum mounted for rotation upon said shaftwithin the casing, co-acting means carried by the shaft and drum forimparting to the drum a spiral movement when rotated, an electromagnetin said circuit, a frame pivoted upon the shaft, means carried therebyoperably engaged with the drum, a spring for actuating said frame inopposition to the electromagnet, said spring andelectromagnet operatingthe frame to rotate the drum, a

series of exhibits carried upon the periphery of the drum, means forreleasing the frame to permit the drum to return to reset position, andmeans for returning the drum to reset position when released.

5. In an indicator, the combination with a source of electrical energy,and means for completing a circuit, of an indicator having a casing, ashaft mounted therein, a drum having a series of peripheral teethmounted for rotation upon said shaft within the easing, co-acting meanscarried by the shaft and drum for imparting to the drum a spiralmovement when the drum is rotated, a frame pivoted upon the shaft, andspanning the drum, said frame being capable of a radial and oscillatorymovement with relation to the drum, a pawl carried thereby operablyengaged with the teeth of the drum, an electromagnet in said circuit andoperably connected for moving the frame, a spring for actuating saidframe in opposition to the electromagnet, said spring and electromagnetsoperating the frame, to rotate the drum, a series of exhibits carriedupon the periphery of the drum, means for releasing the frame to permitthe drum to return to reset posit-ion, and a spring mounted upon theshaft and connected to the drum for returning the drum to resetposition.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. VIGKERY.

Witnesses:

EDWIN C. ADAMs, ELMORE S. VIoKERY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

